Metal wheel-spoke.



PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

C. HEART. METAL WHEEL SPOKE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9.1905.

lll 'nu/lu improved tenon thereof;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

CHARLES HEART, OF ALEXANDRIA, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO KEEFER-HEART IRON AND STEEL COMPANY, OF ALEXANDRIA, INDIANA, A CORPORA- TION.

METAL WHEEL-SPOKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Original application filed May 25, 1905, Serial No. 262,114. Divided and this application filed September 9, 1905. Serial No. 277,744.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HEART, a citi! zen of `the United States, residing at Alexandria, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Metal Wheel-Spokes; and I -do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to Wheels for vehicles such as wagons, carriages, automobiles and the like, the invention having reference particularly to the spokes of the wheels, which were originally shown in my application filed May 25, 1905, Serial No.'262,114, and divided therefrom; oln'ects of the invention bein to provide improved hollow metallic spoes for wheels, and particularly to provide reinforced s oke-ends capable of withstanding the strains where they are attached to the wheel-hub, and to provide improved tenons at the spoke-ends that are connected to the wheel-felly.

Withthe above-mentioned and minor objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction in hollow metallic wheel-spokes embracing particularly reinforced ends thereof; and the invention consists further in the parts and combinations parte, as hereinafter particularly described of and claimed.1

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a wheel including the improved spokes; Fig. 2, a fragmentary lon itudinal sectional view of a s oke showing t e ig. 3, a ragmenta longitudinal sectional view of a spoke s lowing the reinforced hub-end thereof Fig. 4, a transverse sectional view on the line A A in Fig. 2, omitting the tenon-thimble Fig. 5, an end-view of a spoke and tenon without the thimble thereof; Fig. 6, a lan ofthe thimble detached from the spoke; ig. 7, an end-view of the s oke showing the plan of the hub-end thereof); Fi 8, a transverse sectional view on the line B in Fig. 3; and, Fig. 9, a front view of a spoke detached from the wheel.

Similar reference characters in the different ures of the drawings designate corresponding parts or features.

In the drawings, as illustrating the invention as connected with a wheel, in Fig. l a complete Wheel is shown comprising a hub, a; the improved spokes, C a felly, b; a tire, c; and a spoke-socket, d. The felly has a joint e.

The spokes O are each mainly formed of a single piece of sheet metal pressed to the-desired shape so as to be hollow, and each one has a wedge-shaped hub-end D and a shoulder g near its other end from which extends a hollow integral tenon composed of two sides h and h havin(T their edges turned inwardly and forming abutting lips t and 'L' at their joints. The body part of the spoke has a turned-over seam f extending from the shoulder g to the opposite or inner end of the spoke that connects with the hub.

The outer end of each spoke proper is provided with a reinforcing thimble E that embraces the tenon and has a cap-end extendinor across the end of the tenon and into the felly b, the thimble having also a shoulder c engaging the shoulder g of the spoke, and from the shoulder lc extends a flange which with the shoulder as a bottom forms a socket d for the end of the spoke proper, the rcmaining portion of the thimble forming also a socket and reinforcement for the tenon of the spoke. The thimble is usually forcibly pressed onto the spoke before being connectedA in the wheel, but the thimble may be first pressed ixnto the felly and then the spoke may be driven into the thimble. Preferably the thimble is formed of a disk of soft sheet steel pressed in dies.

The inner rectangular tapering end portion D of each spoke that is attached to the hub is provided with transverse internal braces F and F that extend along the sides n and/n of the ends of the sloping plates 11: of the end D of the spoke and are connected by an integral brace plate G at their ed es which bear against one flat side Z of tie spoke, the opposite edges of the braces F and F bearing against the opposite side m of the having flanges or lips H and Hl` IOO thiinbles on the tenons of the spokes not only strengthen the tenons but prevent the en trance of water into the hollow spokes.

I laving thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is l. A metal wheel spoke having a tenon formed integral therewith and comprising two separate joined opposing sides having their edges turned inwardly and forming abutting lips at the joints thereof, and a thiinble extending about the tenon and holding the two sides thereof together.

2. A hollow nietal wheel spoke having a tenon formed integral .therewith and coniprising two sides having their edges turned inwardly and forming abutting lips at the joints of the sides, and a thimble extending about the tenon and aeross the end thereof, the thiinble holding` the two sides of the tenon together.

3. A hollow inetal wheel spoke comprising a body part and an integral tenon, the body part having a seam therein and the tenon comprising two separate abutting sides, and a thinible extending about the tenon and also about a portion of the body part and holding the two sides of the tenon together.

4. In a wheel spoke, the coinl'iination with a thilnble, of a hollow metal spoke having a tenon comprising two sides each separately formed integral with the body of the spoke and having two lips turned inwardly, the lips of one side abutting against the lips of the other side of the tenon, the end of the spoke and the tenon being inserted in the thiinble.

5. In a hollow metal wheel spoke, the Conn bination with a rectangular tapering end portion of the spoke having a longitudinal seam therein, of two parallel brac-es extending along the sides of the ends of the sloping plates of said tapering end, said bra-ees having an integral bra-oe attached thereto hearing against the side of said end port-ion opposite the sea-1n thereof, said parallel braces bearing against the sealned side of said end portion and having lips bearing against opposite sides of said sea-1n.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES HEART Witnesses:

WVM. C. THOMPSON, E. T. SiLvIUs. 

